CONTENTS Ten particulars that constitute the hypocrite's vain religion.. PAGE ibid. 1214 What moveth the hypocrite to this self-deceit, and what are the In what respects his religion is vain Use 1. Why a seeming, outside, hypocritical religion is so common in comparison of serious faith and godliness.. Use 2. To awaken the self-deceiving hypocrite Ten infallible marks of grace, which are in all that are sound believers, and set together, describe his state; premised to prevent the misapplication of what followeth, and groundless trouble of the sincere.... Terror to the self-deceiver. 1. His religion being vain, his hopes and comforts are all vain 2. It will deceive him in his extremity The detection of the hypocrite, by his contradicting all the parts of his christian profession: showing that all the The testimony of Dr. Robert Abbot, regius professor of divi- nity in Oxford, and Bishop of Salisbury. Mr. Robert Bolton's testimony at large.... His further description of the formal hypocrite Bishop Hall's character of a hypocrite 3. The sinfulness of passionate reproachful speeches against superiors, when we suffer by them for religion's sake; How far we may mention such sins of others, Two causes of men's frowardness of speech... Who is indeed the hypocrite. The impudency of our common hypocrites that take serious godliness for hypocrisy. If we will be Christians indeed, we must be content to be so, though we are not thought to be so; and to be ac- THE CURE OF MELANCHOLY AND OVERMUCH SORROW, BY FAITH AND PHYSIC.-2 Corin- HOW TO DO GOOD TO MANY; OR THE PUBLIC THE ABSOLUTE DOMINION OF GOD-REDEEMER; AND THE NECESSITY OF BEING DEVOTED AND LIVING TO HIM.-1 Corinthians vi. 19, 20. THE ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGNTY OF CHRIST; AND THE NECESSITY OF MAN'S SUBJECTION, DEPENDENCE, AND CHIEFEST LOVE TO JUDGMENT.-2 Corinthians v. 10, 11... DEATH, THE LAST ENEMY TO BE DESTROYED.— SOME IMITABLE PASSAGES OF THE LIFE OF THE VAIN RELIGION OF THE FORMAL HYPOCRITE, AND THE MISCHIEF OF AN UNBRIDLED TONGUE, AS AGAINST RELIGION, RULERS, OR DISSENTERS, DESCRIBED IN SEVERAL SERMONS PREACHED AT THE ABBEY IN WESTMINSTER, BEFORE MANY MEMBERS OF THE HONOURABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS, MDCLX.: AND THE FOOL'S PROSPERITY THE OCCASION OF HIS DESTRUCTION A SERMON PREACHED AT COVENT GARDEN. BOTH PUBLISHED TO HEAL THE EFFECTS OF SOME HEARERS' MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND MISREPORTS. TO THE READER. THOUGH God be not the author of sin, he knows why he permitteth it in the world. He will be no loser, and Satan shall be no gainer by it in the end. The malice of the devil and wicked men is, ordinarily, the destruction of the cause which they most desire to promote; and an advantage by accident to the cause and persons which they would root out from the earth. Were there no more to prove this than the instances of Joseph's brethren, of Pharaoh, and the murderers of our Lord, it were enough. We usually lose more by the flatteries of Satan and the World, than by their violence. If these hasty, coarse, unpolished sermons, shall prove beneficial to the souls of any, this also may come in among the lower rank of instances. If the devil had let me alone, they might have been cast aside, and no further molested him or his kingdom, for aught I know, than they did upon the preaching of them. But seeing he will needs, by malicious misreports, and slanders, kindle suspicion, and raise offence, against them and the author, let him take what he gets by it. He hath never yet got much from me, by violence, or by his foul-mouthed slanderous instruments: no, not when the impudence or multitude of their slan ders have forced me to be silent, lest I trouble the reader, or misspend my time. The first of these discourses, being intended to undeceive the formal hypocrite, and to call men from a vain, to a saving, serious religion, and to acquaint them that cry out against hypocrisy, where the hypocrite is to be found, it seems, provoked the ignorant or the guilty; in so much that the cry went, that I preached down all forms of prayer, and all government and order in the church: when there is not a syllable that hath any such sense; but it seems what I spoke against the carcass, was interpreted to be spoken against the body of religion. The words of Mr. Bolton, and other divines, which I have |